ANDERSON COUNTY — I’ve been so disgusted for so long with the Anderson County Council’s bad behavior that you’ve probably noticed my mentions of it are few and those mentions are usually parenthetical, matter-of-fact.

The last eight years of our Sensational Seven’s multi-hour Tuesday night sessions have provided a sort of grim entertainment, but they’re no longer remarkable enough for any analysis.

They’re a particularly boring kind of political weather, like the drizzle and clouds and fog of London, existing only to consistently ruin otherwise promising days.

I lost hope a long time ago that anything worthwhile would come from meetings involving our Sensational Seven, who vaingloriously consider themselves “public servants.”

Silly me. All along I thought they were just playing politics.

Perhaps that explains why I’ve used words like these: Farce. Circus. Soap opera. Show trial. Theater.

Don’t misunderstand me now.

I don’t mean they’re “faking.” They’re certainly serious. And they come across as sincere. But they’ve forgotten, apparently, that politics isn’t a game.

Our community life is on the line.

And you’re blessed if your livelihood isn’t.

One of my worst qualities is my idealism. Or so my wife tells me. Rather than accept life’s futility Solomon-like, I can’t resist believing that change is always possible.

So I’m going to suggest something ridiculously practical if the County Council, under the leadership of new Chairman Michael G. Thompson, isn’t just pretending to care about conducting real business.

Hold work sessions.

Let’s pause for that common sense to sink in.

Holding public work sessions, typically during the day, is something that many other local governments have successfully used to accomplish the nitty-gritty work. Ask questions directly of department heads, receive expert advice, debate the pros and cons, pore over financials.

That allows the official public meeting at night to focus on the taking of votes, and the taking of public comments, respecting precious public time.

For those council members who aren’t retired, sacrificing a day of productive work might concentrate their minds.

And we need not worry about the public’s right to know. The amount of public information about county business would likely drastically improve once the focus was on “work” rather than public grandstanding. (Although they’ll still have that opportunity, of course.)

And reporters would be more likely to produce meaningful coverage when they have more than a few minutes so they could meet a late-night deadline.

If the County Council were serious public servants, they’d at least talk about it.

Want to weigh in on this column? Join the fray at The Cocklebur Forums from the homepage of Independentmail.com or drop me a line at charalambousnc@independentmail.com.